Home

About WWA

Events

Tips

Spot Guide

Weather

Articles

Forum

Spot Guide

About Wellington Visiting Wellington Map of locations Wellington Spots Plimmerton Kio Bay Shark Bay Seatoun Beach Worser Bay Lyall Bay Eastbourne Petone Pauatahanui Kapiti Titahi Bay Wairarapa Spots Didis Dumps Lake Ferry Lake Wairarapa Ning Nong Tora Lobster Point Whatarangi Point Road Trips Ningnong

Forming the eastern extent of the Aorangi ranges the Wairarapa Coast extends from the small seaside settlements of Castlepoint and Riversdale in the north, to the coastal sheep and cattle stations at Tora and White Rock on the Wairarapa's south east coast.   Cape Palliser and the Palliser lighthouse sit on the south eastern corner and are the southern most point of the North Island. The coast then arcs back to form the exposed Wairarapa south coast with the fishing village of Ngawi and the seaside village of Whatarangi. The cold steel sea surrounding this coast drops off steeply and has a wild feel about it.   As soon as you hit the water you are in no doubt that this is the oceans equivalent of tiger country.   There are big animals in the water, they can see you and expect to see them.   The beaches are coarse black sand littered with dinner plate sized paua shells and crayfish bodies and thick leathery bull kelp sways in the surges. The quality, size and power of the waves around this coast have something of a legendary status among surfers.   What's less well known is that it has some superb wave sailing spots from Tora's long peeling left, the almost mythical spit at White Rock and, and a number of fun to very scary rocky reef breaks between Cape Palliser and Lake Ferry, namely Dumps - a large rocky right, Whatarangi - a long sandy right, and Didi's - a fun left. Story: James Court Photos: Mark Hollenstein and James Court We had been robbed!   Like some cruel joke the spot that we were so sure should have been working was almost dead flat. Two hours earlier we were feeling pretty smug, lounging in Woo (Chris Norris's) Falcon and travelling in the opposite direction to the early morning Wellington commuter jams.   The indicators for the Wairarapa coast all looked good, there was a solid south swell hitting Lyall Bay and a developing northerly wind.   The Wairarapa coast is undoubtedly the North Island's most remote and rugged coastlines.   Although, a lot of these breaks were frequently sailed in the eighties, the remoteness (2 hour drive from Wellington) the bitterly cold southerlies and the fickleness of the wave and wind conditions means these spots are now sailed only by the very keen wave sailors. On this day we were headed for Didi's.   We were almost certain that Didi's would be working in the developing northerly but there was absolutely no swell, and as if to add insult to injury there a solid 25 knot cross shore.   We were bloody disappointed.   The kind of disappointment that only those who have driven a long way for a sail, only having to drive all the way back again know about.   However we weren't to be deterred easily. On the off chance we went to check out a more southern and exposed break called Ning Nong's. Ning Nong's is a spit peak reef located at the end of a barren point.   Although it is a popular surf spot we had not previously windsurfed here as the wave breaks very fast and incredibly close to the rocks.   On arriving Ning Nong's looked about as flat as Didi's.   After about ten minutes of watching, to our surprise we were greeted by a solid looking five wave set fanned by a 25 knot cross off Northerly.   Thinking that this was just a mirage conjured up by desperate minds we waited for a confirmation.   Ten minutes latter a carbon copy set crackled through the line up. Oh, the joy of sailing a new wave.   The little things that make each wave and spot unique, made all the sweeter by the fact that we were almost certainly the first people ever to windsurf this location.   We were exploring unchartered territory. Clayton Dougan, Mark Hollenstein, Woo Norris and myself were all over it, lining up grunty section after grunty section to smack.   Clayton showed us the way through the inside.   Woo Norris treated the heavy top of the break with disrespect, sometimes coming off second best.      Coming off second best meant that if you got caught inside you were in the rock garden very quickly. However the damage was light with only one holed board. Always a wave glutton, I used a higher volume board to snag my fair share of waves off the other wave hogs.   Even though there was only four of us out at any one time, competition for the set waves were fierce.   Remember, your mates are always the worst at dropping in, or maybe it just happens to me? The more we sailed the more tuned in we got and the more we pushed the limits, boosting airs and spinning gu-screws over the inside boils.   Later the wind changed to the northwest introducing a mean side chop to the break, although it was still mouth watering good. Four hours later, four very stoked but exhausted boys sunk a couple of jugs at the Lake Ferry pub as the sun went down.   We were victorious.   We had made the effort and despite a high risk of disappointment, we had one of the best sessions of the year at a possibly never before sailed break. These trips to me are what windsurfing is all about, I can remember them so vividly, I can almost smell them.   Sailing your home spot day after day is great, but after a while all the good sessions get a little fuzzy and you feel like you're in a rut.   So get out of your home spot ruts and explore.   Sure, there is a risk that it's going to be crappy and you'll miss a sail back home, but I can assure you the payback is tenfold. Clayton had rigged and was in the water before we had even come to our senses.   We carefully watched Clayton's first couple of waves looking for some fatal flaw in the set up.   There was none, and we were all out there.   After a couple of cautious waves to mind map the sections and the inside rock garden, the boys set about taking the wave to pieces. The wave has a shifty fast breaking outside peak that was just heaving in the sets. The inside, although smaller was the premium cut, being a bit smoother with some nice predictable sections.   To connect the two required some well timed turns and some down the line speed to extend around the sections.   Impossible for a surfer, just perfect for a windsurfer. It was not peeling perfection, but offered a nice big long wall with steep crumbling, often pitching sections to smack or bust some airtime.   The wind angle meant you could really put your foot down in the bottom turn and slash the crap out of lip.   Wairarapa Coast windsurfing resources Some resources if you want to explore the Wairarapa Coast, or want to know more about Ning Nong's and the other spots mentioned in this article. •  www.wwa.org.nz/spotguide.htm - up to date description of Wairarapa windsurfing locations and guide on how to pick the conditions for each spot. •  www.deepfried.tv - a great article on a recent trip to Tora, including two short downloadable movies. •  www.wind.co.nz - text and website based real time NZ wind conditions, which includes provides data from Ngawi and Castlepoint. •  Lake Ferry Hotel - Great country pub style accommodation and food with sea views

Hosting sponsored by The Kiwi Web Hosting Company